It happens often – an executive asks me to review my resume and provide a quick opinion or insight. All too often, these executives say they’re confused because their résumés aren’t producing results.I can only hear crickets.”. A quick glance at a resume reveals a detailed work history from the past 20 to 30 years squashed in small fonts, dense paragraphs, and line-by-line bland sentences in excruciatingly dry and boring language. The answer is obvious if the content is stated. Resumes are robbing them of their chances.
These old-fashioned executive résumés are stuffed with so much dust that they suffocate and lose opportunities. Recruiters look at these parts of his 10+ page resume (cough cough, yes I read it right!) and think:We don’t have time to comb through all this content to find value. ” Then they move on.
This is why these applications face dead air.
Executives, you may need to put a long career on your resume (which is not easy), but you don’t have to include every detail and every role you play. To avoid choking your audience with irrelevant text and burying your great achievements, adopt this simple, modern resume approach.
concisely
Keep length down: The average length of an executive resume is 2-3 pages. Yes, your resume may be short or slightly long, but you should not include anything in your resume that does not add value to your application. Additionally, avoid heavy narratives in your resume. Readers don’t have time to digest deep paragraphs or lengthy stories. Use more impactful statements to get to the point. On a resume, less is more.
Focus on recent work history
Make sure your resume covers the last 10-15 years of work experience. If you are applying for a top position, your most recent experience may be more relevant and interesting to your readers. Entry-level positions are a thing of the past, so unless these early positions offer something unique to share, they may not need to appear at all. If your previous background is really important to your job goals, remember to keep it short. Consider creating a separate “Work experience so far” section to briefly touch on important points.
include white space
Spread out the content and give the text a little more room. There is no cheating even with small fonts. Resume readers usually only take seconds to minutes to scan each file the first time. To ensure that your users’ attention is captured and maintained, they should be able to scan as much of the file as possible and find the important details. Dense writing is hard to scan and absorb, so if your resume seems hard to read, it may not be read at all.
focus on results
Get rid of the expected and the mundane. Instead, use space wisely to sell something different. Demonstrate that you have the skills necessary to be successful in your target job by sharing clear, concrete examples of how you have applied these skills to good results. Resumes these days focus on results rather than day-to-day tasks and activities.it’s important to share how and why You are different than your competitors. Treat your resume like a marketing tool.
Drill down into details
Show why you are the person the employer needs and provide evidence to support your claims. Quantify the impact as much as possible, aiming to answer the number, amount, and frequency. For example, if you made a profit, share how long it took you to make a profit: “My revenue increased 26% year over year by…”. . The more specific you make your example, the fewer questions you will have when reading the file.
polish the look
Content is important in a resume, but format is still important. Your resume doesn’t have to look overly flashy, but make sure the format is modern, pleasing to the eye, and easy to understand. Use design components to highlight your best work and strategically focus on important details. You can make these details stand out from the page in simple ways such as bolding important influences.
Focusing on the simple steps above will breathe new life into your resume. Don’t stifle your executive career opportunities with heavy, lengthy content and dry details. Don’t miss your chance to move forward.
Need more executive resume tips or the latest trends to support your search? Try these:
Is your job search hampered by a long resume?
2023 Executive Resume Trends
Free Resume Improvement Guide!
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